


Heart & Clock

by Ace (ASCLEPIAS)



Category: Clover no Kuni no Alice | Alice in the Country of Clover, Heart no Kuni no Alice | Alice in the Country of Hearts, ジョーカーの国のアリス | Joker no Kuni no Alice | Alice in the Country of Joker
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:41:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24609367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ASCLEPIAS/pseuds/Ace
Summary: Unconnected short stories we write that are centered on various HNKNA ships. No particular theme and some may be AUs.
Kudos: 3





	Heart & Clock

“Even the stars here look different from back home... Well, I guess this is a dream world, after all.”

Alice’s voice trailed into a mumble as though even before she finished the thought she regretted saying it out loud. She felt Ace’s grip on her hand suddenly tighten, but she didn’t bother turning her head to look at him. She knew she wouldn’t be able to read his expression even if she could see his face.

The air grew tense between them, more so when the knight edged closer to her on the blanket so their shoulders were nearly touching. The forest was hardly silent between rustling leaves and the low drone of cicadas singing in the trees, but despite the noise she could make out the faint sound of his heartbeat now.

_No_ , she corrected herself. _It’s not a heartbeat._

Alice was aware that the man next to her looked as human as she did, but even so there was no denying that deep inside they were fundamentally different. 

_Tick, tick, tick, tick._

That sound wouldn’t allow her to deny it. She loved this man, but after all this was just a dream, and he was another cog in the clockwork machinations of her mind that would cease to exist when she finally woke up.

This time she was the one to squeeze his hand. “I have to go back someday--you know that, don’t you?” she asked quietly. She knew it would have been kinder to just let the quiet stay over them until inevitably Ace broke it with that chipper laugh of his and to just leave it at that and crawl into their tent for the night, but she was not a kind person. 

“Why?”

“My family--”

In the blink of an eye her partner threw himself over her. “I don’t care about them, I care about you.” Despite how erratic his actions were, he placed one hand gently on his lover’s cheek as he spoke. Still, his gaze was... empty, unreadable; it was impossible to guess what he was really thinking behind it.

“I know you do. But that doesn’t change the fact that I have responsibilities to take care of,” Alice replied, unwavering. 

“What about your responsibilities here, then?”

The man leaned in and kissed her, with a certain roughness that crushed any semblance of romance behind the gesture. Still straddling her body--trembling now--he lowered himself onto her, shifting so he could rest his head in the all-too-familiar position over her heart. 

She opened her mouth, but he continued speaking before she could find a reply. “You’ll have regrets either way. If you really want to go I can’t stop you but if it won’t make you happy...” The knight grabbed her hand again almost desperately. “If it’s only because you think you have to, I’m not going to let go.”

Alice slid her arm out from its place between her body and his, gently placing it on his head and stroking his soft brown hair. She wasn’t good at these kinds of things--trying to comfort someone, or showing affection in general--but it felt like the natural thing to do then. Her heart pounding in his ear, his weight pinning her down, and only uncertainty between them, she knew he was right that she’d always be conflicted.

“I’m not going anywhere just yet, anyway,” she concluded, planting a soft kiss on his forehead.

She wasn't entirely sure which of them she was hoping to reassure.


End file.
